What is St Briavels Congregational Church?
In the words of the advert, “it does what it says on the tin!”
St Briavels is a rural community, a small village of 1200 people, in the Wye Valley AONB and the Forest of Dean. The church is composed of people living in St Briavels and the surrounding area, we have been put here by God to be his witnesses in this place. To be a community, within the community, pointing people to Jesus.
Congregational means we believe that each local church is self-governing, under the headship of Jesus Christ, and that he will provide all that is needed for its health and well being. Whilst independent we believe in interdependence and maintain bonds of faith with other congregations, locally and further afield. We are members of the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches (EFCC) and Affinity.
The Church is not a building (non-conformist meeting places like ours are often called chapels), nor is it a society or organisation in the normal sense. A church is an assembly of Christians – a local body of believers in Jesus – gathered together to worship God, love each other and proclaim Jesus.